Electronics Engineer

US Western Area Power Administration; Loveland (CO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

US Western Area Power Administration is seeking an Electronics Engineer to develop, upgrade, and operate the Rocky Mountain Region’s communication and telemetry systems. The role covers SCADA, telemetering equipment, and data distribution across remote units and field devices.

The ideal candidate will bring experience with fiber optics, radio communications, and modern data networks, and can provide technical guidance for operations support and maintenance within a federal utility framework.

Qualifications

• ABET-accredited engineering degree or equivalent per 0800 series requirements.
• Combination of education and experience meeting professional engineering requirements (EI/EIT/PE licensure or FE exam or academic courses).
• Experience with SCADA/EMS, fiber optics, radio systems, and data networks (MPLS/SONET/TDM/IP/VOIP) as applicable.

Responsibilities

• Develop, upgrade, and operate the Region's communication systems, SCADA systems, and RTUs.
• Provide engineering expertise for telemetering equipment and data distribution systems.
• Support operations across the Rocky Mountain Region’s electrical infrastructure.

Skills

Fiber optics

Radio systems

Data network technologies

Education

ABET-accredited engineering degree

Job description

This position is part of the WAPA-RMR-Rocky Mountain Region or WAPA-UGPR-Upper Great Plains Region. As Electronics Engineer, you will provide engineering expertise to develop, upgrade, and operate the Region's communication systems, SCADA systems, operations support systems, telemetering equipment, data distribution systems, and remote telemetry units (RTUs).

Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

Applicants must meet the Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) for the 0800 Series as described below

A. Degree: Engineering:To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress‑strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.

B. Combination of Education and Experience: College‑level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:

• Professional Registration or Licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. -OR-
• Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. -OR-
• Specified Academic Courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A. (Related Curriculum -- Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering‑type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all-inclusive.)

In addition to meeting the Individual Occupational Requirements for the 0800 Series, applicants must meet the specialized experience below.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE

Applicants must possess one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. The experience need not have been in the federal government.

To qualify for the GS‑12:

Select the one statement that best describes the experience you possess that demonstrates your ability to perform the work of an Electronics Engineer, at the GS‑11 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal service.

This experience MUST include all the following:

• Providing technical assistance in these technologies:
  • Fiber optics
  • Radio systems (VHF, UHF, spread spectrum, microwave)
  • Data network technologies such as MPLS or SONET, TDM, IP or VOIP

To qualify for the GS‑13:

Select the one statement that best describes the experience you possess that demonstrates your ability to perform the work of an Electronics Engineer, at the GS‑12 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal service.

This experience MUST include all the following:

• Using communications systems that support transmission system facilities for computer systems such as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) or Energy Management System (EMS), data and voice communication infrastructures;
  • In these technologies:
    • Fiber optics
    • Radio systems (VHF, UHF, spread spectrum, microwave)
    • Data network technologies such as MPLS or SONET, TDM, IP or VOIP

"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community‑based philanthropic and social organizations. Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills; and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work is primarily sedentary. Field work may take place indoors or outdoors and involve long periods of standing, bending, and stretching to observe and study work operations in an industrial work area.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work is normally performed in an office setting. Field work to industrial areas may involve moderate risks or discomfort. Work may occasionally be performed at substation/ transmission line involving hazards requiring special safety precautions around energized circuits and equipment. The use of personal protective equipment and observance of safety precautions is required.